The passages looked at in the last part are not a rare exception, but there are dozens of divine attributes and names which are given to Jesus although God says so clearly (remember what I quoted earlier from Isaiah 48:11):
I will NOT yield my glory to another.
I could go in similar great detail about most of the names and attributes in the following list. But then this article would never come to an end. I will therefore provide you the references and let you look them up for yourself and draw your own conclusions.
If the following table comes up jumbled on your web browser, I have put it in a different format here.
"There is one God" - 1 Corinthians 8:6
Description |
As Used of God |
As Used of Jesus |
---|---|---|
YHWH (=I AM) | Exodus 3:14 Deuteronomy 32:39 Isaiah 43:10 |
John 8:24 John 8:58 John 18:4-6 |
God | Genesis 1:1 Deuteronomy 6:4 Psalm 45:6,7 |
Isaiah 7:14, 9:6 John 1:1,14 John 20:28 Romans 9:5 Titus 2:13 Hebrews 1:8 2 Peter 1:1 |
Alpha and Omega (First and Last) |
Isaiah 41:4 Isaiah 44:6 Isaiah 48:12 Revelation 1:8 |
Revelation 1:17,18 Revelation 2:8 Revelation 22:12-16 |
Lord | Isaiah 45:23 | Matthew 12:8 Acts 7:59,60 Acts 10:36 Romans 10:12 1 Corinthians 2:8 1 Corinthians 12:3 Philippians 2:10,1 |
Savior | Isaiah 43:3 Isaiah 43:11 Isaiah 63:8 Hosea 13:4 Luke 1:47 1 Timothy 4:10 |
Matthew 1:21 Luke 2:11 John 1:29 John 4:42 Titus 2:13 Hebrews 5:9 |
King | Psalm 95:3 Isaiah 43:15 1 Timothy 6:14-16 |
Revelation 17:14 Revelation 19:16 |
Judge | Genesis 18:25 Psalm 50:4,6 Psalm 96:13 Romans 14:10 |
John 5:22 2 Corinthians 5:10 2 Timothy 4:1 |
Light | 2 Samuel 22:29 Psalm 27:1 Isaiah 42:6 |
John 1:4,9 John 3:19 John 8:12 John 9:5 |
Rock | Deuteronomy 32:3,4 2 Samuel 22:32 Psalm 89:26 |
Romans 9:33 1 Corinthians 10:3,4 1 Peter 2:4-8 |
Redeemer | Psalm 130:7,8 Isaiah 48:17 Isaiah 54:5 Isaiah 63:9 |
Acts 20:28 Ephesians 1:7 Hebrews 9:12 |
Our Righteousness | Isaiah 45:24 | Jeremiah 23:6 Romans 3:21-22 |
Husband | Isaiah 54:5 Hosea 2:16 |
Matthew 25:1 Mark 2:18,19 (Bridegroom) 2 Corinthians 11:2 Ephesians 5:25-32 Revelation 21:2,9 |
Shepherd | Genesis 49:24 Psalm 23:1 Psalm 80:1 Isaiah 40:9-11 Ezekiel 34:11-12,22 |
Luke 15:1-7 John 10:11,16 Hebrews 13:20 1 Peter 2:25 1 Peter 5:4 |
Creator | Genesis 1:1 Job 33:4 Psalm 95:5,6 Psalm 102:25,26 Isaiah 40:28 |
John 1:2,3,10 Colossians 1:15-18 Hebrews 1:1-3,10 |
Giver of Life | Genesis 2:7 Deuteronomy 32:39 1 Samuel 2:6 Psalm 36:9 |
John 5:21 John 10:28 John 11:25 |
Forgiver of Sin | Exodus 34:6-7 Nehemiah 9:17 Daniel 9:9 Jonah 4:2 |
Mark 2:1-12 Acts 26:18 Colossians 2:13 Colossians 3:13 |
Lord Our Healer | Exodus 15:26 | Acts 9:34 |
Omnipresent | Psalm 139:7-12 Proverbs 15:3 |
Matthew 18:20 Matthew 28:20 Ephesians 3:17; 4:10 |
Omniscient | 1 Kings 8:39 Jeremiah 17:9,10,16 |
Matthew 11:27 Luke 5:4-6 John 2:25 John 16:30 John 21:17 Acts 1:24 |
Omnipotent | Isaiah 40:10-31,18 Isaiah 45:5-13,18 |
Matthew 28:18 Mark 1:29-34 John 10:18 Jude 24 |
Pre-Existent | Genesis 1:1 | John 1:15,30 John 3:13,31,32 John 6:62 John 16:28 John 17:5 |
Eternal | Psalm 102:26,27 Habakkuk 3:6 |
Isaiah 9:6 Micah 5:2 John 8:58 |
Immutable | Isaiah 46:9,16 Malachi 3:6 James 1:17 |
Hebrews 13:8 |
Receiver of Worship | Matthew 4:10 John 4:24 Revelation 5:14 Revelation 7:11 Revelation 11:16 |
Matthew 14:33 Matthew 28:9 John 9:38 Philippians 2:10,11 Hebrews 1:6 |
Speaker with Divine Authority |
"Thus saith the Lord ... - used hundreds of times |
Matthew 5:21-48 Matthew 23:34-37 John 7:46 "Truly, truly, I say .... |
This chart (slightly extended by me) is taken from pages 62-64 of the book:
Jesus - A Biblical Defense of His Deity
by Josh McDowell and Bart Larson
Here's Life Publishers, (c) 1983, ISBN 0-86605-114-7
Isaiah 43:
10 You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen,so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.
11 I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from me there is no savior.
Isaiah 44:
8 Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one."
But in the letter to Titus, chapter 2 we read:
11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.
12 It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,
13 while we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,
14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
And also in 2 Peter 3:
18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and forever! Amen.[Remember, God said: "I will not yield my glory to another!" seemingly Jesus is close enough to not qualify as anOTHER.]
As well as in 1 Corinthians 10:
3 They all ate the same spiritual food
4 and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.
And lest anyone says, this is "just Paul" corrupting the message of Jesus, so let us see that Peter, the leader of the disciples says:
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen. -- 2 Peter 3:18
and even Jesus speaks of himself as a rock/cornerstone, for example in Matthew 21:33-46 (read it all):
33 "Listen to another parable: ......
37 Last of all, he sent his SON to them. `They will respect my son,' he said.
38 "But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, `This is the heir. Come, let's kill him and take his inheritance.'
39 So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him....
42 Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures:
"`The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone;
the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?43 "Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.
44 He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed."
Read the whole parable. It is very clear, that Jesus describes himself as the unique Son of God here, who is sent to the people to call them to account. And that he will be rejected and killed and then will be this 'rejected stone' as prophesied in the earlier prophets who will be the very foundation stone and whoever is against him, will be crushed in his rebellion. And the religious leaders knew exactly what he was talking about and wanted to arrest him because of it (verse 45-46) as they saw themselves exposed in their disobedience to God.
And definitely, the New Testament speaks many many times of Jesus being the Saviour. Let us just look at a few more verses in the different Gospel accounts:
Matthew:
1:21 She (Mary) will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, [3] because he will save his people from their sins."
[3] Jesus is the Greek form of Joshua, which means "the LORD saves".
This is the announcement of the Angel to Joseph, Mary's fiance.
And it says "HE will save..." not, that he will tell the people about the Lord who will save...
And this is something not only said ABOUT Jesus, it is he himself who says so:
Mark 10:45
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served,
but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
Luke 19:10
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.
Again: He himself came to save, not to talk about someone else who would do the saving.
Another chart I found (on the Christian newsgroup) where you can look around in the Bible a bit more on your own.
Again, for non-Netscape web browsers, you might have to look at this table in a different format here.
JESUS AS SAVIOUR | YAHWEH AS SAVIOUR |
---|---|
Luke 2:10-11.....Gal.3:13 Acts 2:21.....2 Peter 3:18 Acts 4:12.....1 John 4:14 Acts 20:28.....Jude 25 Rom.10:9 |
Ps.106:21.....Isa.49:26 Isa.47:4.....Hosea 13:4 Isa.43:3-11.....Ps.78:34-35 Isa.45:21.....Isa.47:4 |
JESUS AS ROCK | YAHWEH AS ROCK |
Matt.21:33-46.....Isa.8:14 Acts 4:11-12.....Isa.28:16 1 Cor.10:4.....Ps.118:22 Eph.2:20-22...Matt.16:17-19 |
Ex.17:6.....Ps.78:34-35 Deut.32:1-4.....Ps.89:26 2 Sam.22:32,47...Isa.17:10 Ps.8:12.....Isa.44:8 |
Yet, we read there is only ONE Rock and ONE Saviour! So what does that say about who Jesus really is?
Also 'ego eimi' = (emphatic form in the Greek language of) "I AM" which is the very name of God, as he reveals Himself to Moses.
YAHWEH is the EGO EIMI |
and | JESUS is the EGO EIMI |
---|---|---|
Exodus 3:14:
God said to Moses: "I AM WHO I AM. |
John 8:58:
Jesus said to them: Amen, Amen, |
|
Again they want to kill him, because he uses the very name of God for himself. (Stoning is the punishment for blasphemy.) Jesus uses this emphatic form of 'I AM' several times at different occasions and each time the hearers are outraged.
This, even more than his use of the clear Old Testament images of God for himself (shepherd, rock, etc), is the clearest claim by Jesus to be divine. He uses the sacred name of God for himself. Had Jesus said, "Before Abraham was, I was", that would already be a strong claim expressing his pre-eminence over Abraham, but Jesus goes further and deliberately violates normal grammar, in order to leave absolutely no doubt about what he meant.
To prove this very claim is the main theme of John's Gospel.
It starts out with (the preface of the Gospel in chapter 1):
1 In the beginning
was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.
We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only,
who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.18 No one has ever seen God,
but God, the One and Only, who is at the Father's side,
has made him known.
John starts out in his preface of the Gospel account to state what he is about to prove with his report: The Word of God is God Himself (and in the very first verse of the Gospel there is already a 'duality' showing up, 'was WITH God' and 'was God') and this Word became a human being, and this God, who is the one and only, made God known to men.
Then as the drama unfolds He reports how this man Jesus lives and does miracles and talks about God, revealing as He really is. And though many are offended at his claims, they do not really completely understand his claims. But all that John reports culminates in the climax of his whole Gospel (chapter 20) with the confession of Thomas:
27 Then he (Jesus) said to Thomas, "Put your finger here;
see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side.
Stop doubting and believe." [WHAT should he believe?]
28 Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"
[THIS is the content of faith Jesus has been looking for all this time!]
29 Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
[NOW Jesus says that "Thomas is believing"]
And with that, the Gospel account is at the point where John was leading his readers, the point John wanted them all to understand. Finally, Thomas, the one with the MOST doubts, [so that he came down in history as Thomas, the doubter] comes out with the confession / realization of the true nature of Jesus. Jesus is the Lord and God. What follows is just a short epilog (and a few afterthoughts on what happened later). The case is proven, there is not much more to say.
30 Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book.
31 But these are written SO THAT you may believe that Jesus is the Christ (=Messiah), THE Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
Having (eternal) LIFE is something that depends on this belief that Jesus is the Son of God. And in this whole Gospel, this means that He IS God the Son, God Himself, Lord and God, the Truth, the Way and the Life and there will be no other way to God than faith in Him. NOBODY will come to (God,) the Father, except through Jesus (God, the Son) (John 14:6).
The task in _this_ article is not discussing "if the Bible tells the truth". The task before us is to establish that the Bible does teach the deity of Jesus and the Trinity. We are not judging if the Bible is right (what would be our standard to measure the Bible against anyway? Do not say "the Qur'an", that would put us into circular reasoning immediately), but we are trying to establish WHAT the Bible really SAYS. We want to understand the TRUE content, not judge it on the truth OF the content. Many (Muslims and others) say that the Trinity was invented 300 years after Christ at the Council of Nicea and that Jesus says nowhere that he is God or nowhere does the Bible speak about the Trinity.
My intent is to show that the Bible speaks indeed in clear terms about both of these (deity of Christ and Trinity) and I hope you can see this by now, though we will examine a few more passages. Let us be honest and not lie about the true / real content of the Bible because we do not accept the content as truth. You are 'welcome' to deny that the Bible speaks the truth [and we can discuss its claim to speak the truth another time], but it is not intellectually honest to deny its plain content and message in order that you can believe in your "self-invented content of the Bible".
Continue to the next part
The Trinity
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